MULTIPLEX GENOME EDITING IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT, BUT IT ALSO RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT UNINTENDED CHROMOSOME REARRANGEMENTS AND CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION. THESE UNINTENDED EFFECTS MAY POSE CHALLENGES FOR PLANT BREEDERS, REGULATORY AGENCIES, AND AGRICULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS. THIS PROJECT WILL USE TOMATO AS A MODEL SYSTEM TO SYSTEMATICALLY INVESTIGATE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF MULTIPLEX GENOME EDITING AT THE CHROMOSOMAL, GENE EXPRESSION, AND PHENOTYPIC LEVELS. BY COMPARING MULTIPLEX-EDITED PLANTS WITH GENETICALLY TRANSFORMED PLANTS, THE STUDY WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHTS TO GUIDE THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF GENOME EDITING. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO GENERATE SCIENCE-BASED INFORMATION THAT SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE USE OF GENOME EDITING IN AGRICULTURE, STRENGTHENS REGULATORY DECISION-MAKING, AND FOSTERS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.